Asjigstoe to the clarke



(No Model.)

G. CLARKE.

STEAM AGTUATBD VALVE. No. 344,032. Patented June 22, 1886.

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nirrnn tirarse armar irren.

GEORGE CLARKE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLARKE AUTOMATICSTEAM-VALVE COMPANY, OE SAME PLACE.

ST EAM-ACTUATED VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,032, dated dune 22,1886.

Application tiled February 23, 1886. Serial No. 192,830. (No model.)

.T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnonen CLARKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Actuated Valves,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereintothe accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to improve the peculiar form oi'direct-acting steam-engine seen in Letters Patent No. 281,836, grantedto me July 24:, 1883, which patent was subsequently assigned to TheClarke Automatic Steam Valve Company,7 of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The iirst part of the present improvements comprises a novel combinationof devices for operating the main valves of the engine so as to cut oftlsteam at any part of the stroke, the cut-off devices being arranged toact automatic-` ally, or to be controlled by the engineer, ashereinafter more fully described.

The second part of the present improvements comprises a novelcombination of devices for reversing the engine, which devices can, ifdesired, be suddenly brought into service without closing thethrottle-valve, thereby rendering the engine especially serviceable forlocomotive purposes, as hereinafter more fully described.

The third part of the presentimprovements consists in providing theengine with a pair of reciprocating rotary valves that control theinlet-ports, said valves being operated by a peculiar combination ofdevices, the details of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improveddirect-acting steamengine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through thesteam-chest and the upper part of the cylinder, the piston beingsupposed to be traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow on thesame. Fig. 3 is aV horizontal section through one of the inlet-valves.Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the upper part of the steam-chestandits attachments. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through one of thebonnets of the engine.

A represents the upper part of a steamcylinder of any desired diameterand stroke, and a is aportion of the piston of the same. Se-

cured to this cylinder, or cast therewith, is a steam-chest consistingof a central or exhaust chamber, B, and a pairof live-steam chambers, CC', the latter having suitable openings, c o', to admit the branches (lcl of a steam-pipe, D. Furthermore, the chambers C C have, respectively,shells E E to receive inlet-valves G H, said valves being preferablycylinders open at each end and having at bottom portsg h and at top lugsg h, which lugs traverse slots ef of said shells. These ports g hcommunicate with the inlet-ports l J oi' the cylinder, while the lugs g7i have attached to them rods K L, that connect with hangers 7c Z,Whoseupper ends are suitably pivoted within'the chambers C C. The lower endsof these hangers are coupled to the stems m m, projecting rigidly fromthe opposite ends of a slide-valve, M, having on its under side acustomary recess, on, adapted to communicate alternately between thepassages N N and exhaust-port n. This slide-val ve is chambered or boredout at M to admit a nxed cylindrical piston, O, which is maintained inposition by rods o o', secured to the partitions that separate thesteam-chambers C C from the exhaust-chamber B.

P 1? are inlet-ports in the lower side of valve M, and p p areexhaust-ports in the upper side thereof.

bis the outlet of the exhaust-chamber B, which ventage may communicatewith the escape-pipe ofthe engine.

Q, Q are the stems of the cylindrical valves G H, said stems beingpassed through the cap B of Ythe steam-chest and having slotted arms q qsecured to their outer ends. These slotted arms are coupled to theopposite ends 0f a side bar, R, supported by two links, r r', the latterbeing jointed to a bearer, S, having ears s s', Within which isjournaled aroclr-shaft, T. Projecting rigidly from this rock-shaft, andextending across the steam-chest, as seen in Fig. 4., is alever, t,pivoted to a suitablebearing, t', and having a governorrod, t, attachedto it. One end of this lever traverses a keeper, U, provided with aseries of perforations, a, to receive a screw, bolt, or pin, u, when itis desired to retain said lever at any speciic adjustment. w is awrist-pin that connects the side bar, R, to a slide, XV, capable ofbeing shifted within the groove :v of a IOO s row on the same.

cylinder-heads, 3 3.

pendulous yoke, X, the latter being pivoted at Y to a bracket, y, boltedto the steamchest. The inner ends of a pair of connecting-rods, Z Z',are coupled to this yoke at x', the outer ends of said rods beingjointed to the arms z z of a pair` of shafts, l l', journaled in bonnets2 2, bolted to the opposite The inclosed portions of these shafts havecranks 4 4', operated by the slotted levers 5 5 of a pair of rockers, 66, the latter being hung in suitable bearings of the cylinder-heads, asseen in Fig. 5, andbeing provided with toe-pieces 7 7', playing withinslots 8 8 of said heads.

' Attached to the yoke X is one end ofa rod, 9, the other extremitythereof being coupled to an ordinary reversing-lever.

c c are spurs projecting from opposite sides of the piston c, whichspurs are chamfered off to avoid any sudden jar when they come incontact with the respective toepieces of the rockers.

To illustrate the action of this engine, I will suppose the arm e hasfirst been swung over in the direction indicated by the arrow on thesame in Fig. l,which act will cause all the operative parts to assumethe positions seen in Fig. 2. Reference to this last illustration showsthat the toe-piece 7 is elevated, the toe piece 7 depressed, thecylindrical valve G closed,the other cylindrical valve, H, opened, andthe slide-valve M advanced to afford communication between the passage Nand the exhaust-port n. Consequently live steam iows through the chamberC, openended cylinder-valve H, and communicating ports h J, thusfillingthe cylinder A and driving its piston a in the direction of the ar- Thisadvance ofthe piston expels the exhaust-steam through the channel N,recess m, and port n, because the inletport I is now closed by the valveG, it being understood there is no communication between said port I andchannel N. It will also be noticed that the inlet-ports P P of thechambered slide-valve M M are now closed, on account of said ports beingover the solid portions of the seat upon which this valve travels. -Theinstant the piston completes its stroke the spur a comes in contact withthe toepiece 7, thereby depressing the latter and elevating the slottedlever 5 of rocker 6, which act raises the crank 4 and swings its arm zover in the direction indicated by the arrow on the same in Fig. 1.While the valve G is opening the slide-valve M is being shifted farenough to bring its inlet-ports P P in communication with theA upperends of channels N N in order that the live steam between the piston cand head 3 may How up the channel N and port P, so as to act against thefixed piston O, thereby completing the retraction of said slide-valvebefore valveG is fully opened, and causing the recess m to form acommunication between the channel N and exhaustport n; but when valve Gis completely opened its port g is in line with the inlet-port I, whilethe opposite inlet-port, J, is immediately closed by the other valve, H.Live steam then iiows through the chamber C, valve G, ports g I, anddrives the piston toward the head 3', the exhaust-steam being dischargedthrough the channel N recess m, and outlet n; but before the piston canstrike against said head the spur a comes in contact with the nowelevated toe-piece 7, thereby forcing the latter down, again opening thevalve H,and closing the other valve G, as previously described, whichoperations are repeated at each and every stroke of the engine.

From the above description it is apparent that the retraction of theslide-valve M is initiated by the opening of the appropriate inletvalve,but is 'completed by the action of live steam at boiler-pressure, thusretaining the principal feature of the invention seen in my old patent,previously alluded to. apparent that the steam which is exhausted fromthe chamber M through the portspp at every stroke of the valve M escapesat the outlet b in the same manner as described in said patent. Thepresent invention, however, includes a cut-off and reversing appliancesnot seen in said patent, the cut-oft1 being rendered positive byinserting the bolt u in either one of the perforations u of the keeperU, according to the duty required of the engine. If it is desired tohave but a limited cut-off, the lever t is depressed within said keeper,so as to elevate the side bar, R, and cause it to approach the pivot Yof pendulous yoke X. Consequently said bar will impart a very limitedstroke to the slotted arms q q', that operate the stems Q Qof,inlet-va1ves G and H. If, on the contrary, it should be desired toopen and close said valves very quickly, the lever t is set so as todrop the side bar, R, and cause the yoke to impart a greater swing tothe same. To work the cut-off automatically, the pin or bolt `u isdispensed with and a governor-rod, t, is then coupled to the lever t.

Another feature peculiar to my present invention consists in attachingthe rod 9 to the yoke X, which rod enables the engineer to reverse7 inan instant and Without taking time to close the throttle, thus renderingthe new engine especially serviceable for locomotives. Thisinstantaneous reversal is due to thefact that the engine is perfectlybalanced in all its parts and can be pulled over when running at thehighest possible speed and Without employing much force or breaking anyof the connections. y i

In some cases it-may be desirable to connect thelever t with anotherlever or appliance that will enable the engineer to operate said leverfrom a cab, and thereby adjust the cut-off to the special vrequirementsof any locomotive service. By prolonging the slotted arms q g',

' so as to enable the side bar, R, to be elevated as high as the pivot Yof swinging yoke X, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, theswinging motion of said arms will be instantly arrested. Hence it isapparent the engineer It is also IOO IIO.

IZO

can immediately stop the engine Without taking time to close thethrottle. Finally, reference to Fig. 3 shows there is ample space ateach end of the valve G g to permit the unobstructed entrance of steaminto this inlet device.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination,inadirect-actingsteam`engine, of apair of reciprocating rotary inletvalves, a chambered andported-outlet-valve sliding Within a special exhaust-chest, and devicesfor initiating the movement of this outlet-valve from the main piston ofthe engine, the stroke of said valve being completed by live steamoperating against a stationary piston fitted Within it, substantially asherein described.

2. The combination, in a direct-acting steamengine, of a pair ofreciprocating rotary inletvalves, a chambered and ported outlet-valvesliding Within a special exhaustchest,and devices i'or initiating themovement of this outlet-valve from the main piston of the engine, thestroke of said valve being completed by live steam operating against astationary pis ton fitted within it, said reciprocating rotary valvesbeing coupled either to a positive or automatic cut-off mechanism, forthe -purpose described.

3. The combination, in a direct-acting steamengine, of the spurredpiston ct a a, rockers 5 6 7 5 6 7, cranks 4 4', shafts I 1Q arms .e z',and suitable connections for operating the inlet-valves of the engine,substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, in adirectacting steamengine, of the valve-stems QQ', slotted arms q q', sidebar, R, slideWw, pendulous yokeX x Y, andlinks r r', Which latter are capable of being raised and lowered for thepurpose of regulating the stroke of said arms, substantially asdescribed.

5. Thecombinatiomwiththesidebar,R,slide of cylinder A, piston a,steam-chest B C C,

valveseats E c F f, reciprocating rotary valves G g Hh, ports IJ, rodsKL, swinging hangers lc l, chambered sliding` valve M M m mf m P Pp p',and channels N Nn, the opposite sides of said piston being furnishedwith spurs a a", for actuating rockers that operate said valves G g IIh, in the manner described.

8. The bonnets 2 2, secured to the opposite cylinder'heads of adirect-acting steam-engine, and having fitted within them the'craukedshafts l 4 4l 4, and rockers 5 6 7 5 6 7, that actuate the inlet-valvesof the engine in the manner described.

9. A pendulous yoke situated at the side of a direct-actingsteam-engine, and having coupled to it a pair of rods that receivemotion from devices actuated by the main piston, and another pair ofrods that transmit motion to the inlet-valves, said rods being connectedto said yoke below its point of suspension, as herein described, and forthe purpose stated.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE CLARKE.

Vitnesses:

RoB'r. W. CARROLL, WM. DISNEY.

